Atlanta Falcons Outlast Surging Packers, 20-17, with Late Matt Bryant Field Goal

The Green Bay Packers dominated most of the second half, but in the end came up sort against a resilient Atlanta Falcons squad at the Georgia Dome Sunday afternoon.

After trailing 10-3 at the half, the Packers mounted a seven-play, 80-yard drive in the third quarter, capped by an Aaron Rodgers one-yard rushing touchdown to tie the game at 10.

The back-and-forth nature of the game continued as the Falcons responded with an eight-minute, 14-play, 80-yard drive culminating in a Michael Turner one-yard touchdown to five the Falcons a 17-10 lead.

After failing to convert on fourth down, thus turning the ball over, the Packers forced an Atlanta punt, getting the ball at their own 10-yard-line.

Nearly five minutes, 15 plays and 80 yards later, Rodgers found his team knocking on the door once more, this time from the Falcons 10-yard-line.

On fourth down and with the game likely hanging in the balance, Rodgers surveyed the field and threw a dart to the left side of the end zone to Jordy Nelson, who brought it down for the game-tying touchdown with just under a minute left in the game.

On the ensuing kickoff, the Pacers committed a facemask penalty, giving the Falcons the ball at midfield and needing about 20 yards for a reasonable shot at a game-winning field goal from Matt Bryant.

With 13 seconds left in the game, Bryant nailed a 47-yarder, but the Packers called a timeout prior to the snap.

On his second attempt, he drilled it again.

The Falcons escaped the Packers' late surge, 20-17.

Quarterback Matt Ryan finished 24-of-28 passing for 198 yards and a touchdown for a 108.0 quarterback rating while Aaron Rodgers was 25-of-34 for 309 yards with a 111.0 passer rating. He was held without a touchdown through the air, though he did have one on the ground.

Ryan improves to 19-1 at home as a starter, tying former Dallas Cowboys quarterback Danny White for the best record in the first 20 career home starts.

Michael Turner eclipsed 100 yards for the sixth time this season, tallying 110 yards on 23 carries with a touchdown.

The Packers fall to 7-4, just behind the division-leading Chicago Bears, who host the Philadelphia Eagles Sunday afternoon.

Meanwhile, the Falcons improve to 9-2 and remain atop the NFC South ahead of the 8-3 New Orleans Saints and the 7-3 Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who travel to Baltimore to face the Ravens Sunday afternoon.

The Falcons have the inside track thus far on home-field advantage throughout the playoffs, and they travel to Tampa Bay to face the Buccaneers next Sunday at 4:15 p.m. EDT.

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